Botaby engine



c. c. DEUEL.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3| I9IB.

Patented Oct., 7, 1919.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESS.

c. cyDEuEL.-

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICAToN FILED 1AN.'3.1918.

1,3199299. Patented Oct. 7,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' C. c. DEUEL.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.3.1918

, Patented Oct. 7,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

L-Jl 712909.

[NI/ENT R.

.. NYM...

, -WTNESSJ CLYDE c, DEUEL, or KANSAS CITY, MIssounI.

ROTARY ENGINE.

sasCity, in the county. of Jackson and State :of Missouri, have invented a certain Anew and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in rotary engines.

gines of .the explosive type, my invention is adapted for use in connection with rotary .engines which employ 'compressed air, steam,

. water or other fluid for a motive power.;`

One ofthe objects of my invention is to provide a rotary engine of novel construction, which is cap-able of high speed, and which for its weight possesses a maximum of 'eiiiciencyl vide an explosive engine 1n whichthe ex haust is closed 'to atmospheric pressure,v

A further object of my inventionl is to prothereby eliminating to a large extent'noise from the; explosions, so that the engine in running will be practically noiseless.

Another novel feature of my invention re`- sides in the factthat'thepiston travel in the l pression and exploding of 'a chargxggas in .35

Aexploding of a charge'isfmuch longer than the piston travel on the intake and compression of a charge, thereby effecting greater `efiici`encyand an exhaust at lower pressure` than is obtainablewith engines in which the piston travel. is the same duringI thelcomengines1 of the reciprocating type.

Other novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully describe-d and claimed.

illustrate the In the accompanying drawings, which preferred embodiment of ,my invention, I

Figure 1 a side elevation'fof im@ proved engine, partly broken away,4A with one side of the casing removed, and :some of the partsshown in cross section. A

Fig. 2 is a top view of the engine. Fig. 3 is aview similar .to Fig. 1, showing other positions of themovable parts.

Fig.- 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the Fig.l 5vis an enlargedy sectional viewon tile i line 5 5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental -vertical sectional view of ai portion of the engine,

showing the Vpositions of `two of the'pistons Patented. oet. a, i oie.

at the time an explosion takes place between them. j

v Fig. 7 isa vertical sectional view on the Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of Y one of the pistons with the latch and spring actuated pin removed therefrom.

--Similar reference ycharacters designate v similar parts in the different views.' While relating particularly 4torotary `en- The `engine is provided with afstationary member comprising a casingl consisting of two-side plates 1 and 2, which are similar in construction and which aresecured together by bolts 3. Centrally and rotatably mounted on bearings L and '5 `with which the plates 1 and'2 are respectively* provided, is a'A horizontal shaft 6 having keyed to it a rotary member,

Y which is rotatably fitted between the platesl 1 and2 and which comprisesla circular plate '7,.toone side of which is secured by screws 9,

a ring plate 8 disposed concentrically to the shaft 6 and plate 7. The plates 1 and2 and the rotary 'member comprising the plates -7 and 8 have between them an annular passage 10, disposed, preferably, at the periphery of the rotary member, and. concentric with the axis thereof. f

The passage 10 is preferably circular in cross section and has mounted in it a plurali-ty of arcuate pistons A, B, C, D, E, F, G,

and H, adapted for ltravel'in the passage 10,

` independently ofthe rotary member'and the casing or stationary' member. AThese piswill suiiioefor all.

Means Iare provided by which each of the pistons is enabled to alternately engage'. the

casing and the rotary member, SD as to serve A tonsfare alike, so that adescription ofone as an abutment and for propelling the rotary member.

The casing platel is provided with duplicate intake ports 11 and 12, through which 4charges are simultaneously admittedto the passage 10.

The` plate l is alsoprovided'with duplil 1n the passagey 10. A similar-spark plug 16 'cate pairs of exhaust ports y13 and 14.` Inis similarly located between theuports 12 vthe operative position shown in the drawyings for holding the piston consecutively from ally yextending' l with the pistons.

' the pistons have in which position it affords `a means rearward movement in -the passage 10, whereby the pistons may serve as abutments for receiving at their forward ends the force of charges exploded by the spark' plug 15.

Diametrically opposite to the latch 17 is a similar latch 21, which is pivoted lby a trans,- verse pin 22 to the plates 1 and. 2. The latch 21 is located in a recess 23 which communicates with the passage 10. A coil spring 24k normally serves to force the latch 21 into the passage 10,so tha-t the latch may hold the pistons from rearward movement. In order that each of the pistons A, B, C, D, E, F, Gr, and II maybe forced in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1,3 and 6 3,

11 and 12, to the posipast the intake ports tions shown in Figs. l'and 3, by the pistons A and E, so as to introduce and compress explosive charges in the passage 10, 'there are provided four radially movable interlocking members I, J, K and L, which are respectively slidably 'mounted' in radial grooves 25, which` are provided in the plate 7 of the rotary member. `As shown in Fig. 7, the interlocking member I is provided, 'as is each of tlieinembers J K and L, with two oppositely laterarms 2,6, ,which .extend through and are respectively slidable in slots 27 and 28 in the plates 7 and`8.`

Rotatablymounted on lthe arms 26 respectively are rollers 29, which are adapted to consecutively engage pairs of curved inclined cams M, N, O and P, the cams of each pair being secured directly opposite to each other to the inner sides respectively of the plates 1 and'2. j

The surfaces of the cams P and N which are engaged by the rollers'29, inclineoutwardly, so as to force the interlocking members outwardly into voperative engagement In order that the pistons may be forced forwardly by the interlocking member, each piston is provided on its inner side with a slot 30 which is adapted to receive any one of the interlocking members, see Figs. 6 and 8. l

When the rotary member revolves, the .interlocking members I, J K or L, as the case may be, engage the two pistons which are at the rear ofthe ports .11 and` 12 and force these pistons to the positions occupied by the pisto'nsA and E in Fig. 1.

been respectively engaged by the latches 17 and 21, the rollers 29 of the interlocking members which are engaged l explosions will be` After n bar.

with the pistons are moved radially inengaging the said interlocking members, as for example the members I andK, from the pistons A and E.

At this time, two charges which have been compressed between the pistons A and B and E and F will be exploded by the spark plugs 15 and 16, the force of which against the forward ends of the pistons 4A and` E and against the rearends of the pistons Band F, which l will be propelled forwardly' by the exploded charges in the passage 10.

In order that the pistonswhen forcedforwardly by the exploded charges shall again e interlock and be operatively connected with the rotary 'member comprising the plates 7, i

tion to the interlocking members I, J, K

and L and similarly provided with rollers l 29 which are adapted to consecutively enand 8, there are provided four interlocking Y ymembers Q, R, S and T, similar in constructons B and F. Each piston has mountedv in its slot 30 a latch comprising a bar 31 pivotally mounted-at its rear end and having ratchet'teeth 32 on its inner side adapted to be engaged by anyone of the inter-Il locking members entering therein.

When the latch bars 31 engage the interlocking members, as for example, the members Q and S, and the charges have been exploded at the lrear of the two pistons which 'occupy the positions of the pistons B andF in Fig. 1, said pistons on being forced ahead will, through the intermediacy of the latch bars 31 and inteirlocking' bars Qy and S, forwardly propel therotary mem- Lber comprising the plates 7 and'8, and the preceding exploding charges will be forced by said pistons B and F through the exhaust ports .14 and 13.

For holding the pistons'B land F in the positions occupied by the pistons B and F in Fig..1, there are provided two diametrically iio opposite catches, one of which is shown in Y Fig. 4, and each consisting in a radially movable catch bar 33'slidably mounted in a recess 311 provided in the members 1 and 2 and communicating at its innerv end with the passage 10. A coil spring 35 normally forces the inner end of the catch bar 33 into the passage 10 in the path of the'pistons A to H. A transverse pin 36 in the bar 33 serves to limit the inward movement of the A passage 37 communicating with the recess 34 and with the passage '10 at vthe rear of the recess 34, serves to equalize the iiuid pressure at .the inner and gouter y ends of the bar 33.

' For releasing-the pistons fromithe-atch bars 33 after the` interlocking membershave engagedwith the latch bars 31, and4 snnultaneously, preferably,- with the exploding' of the charges, each piston A to H-has slidably mounted in it in an' outwardly and .the adjacent .latch bar 31.

forwardly inclined' hole, a pin 37,- the lower end, of which is held by a coil spring 38- against the outer side and forward end of The said inl c lined hole, designatedv by 39,- extends through the forward end of the piston, as

d oesl the pin 37.

When the latch bar -31 is swung out-jv wardly by -one'of the interlocking bars, its- Vouter end will engage the beveled .rear side of the `lower portion of the ladjacent catch bar-33, and the latter will be forced outwardly to the position shown in Fi'gs. 1 and 6, in which position the 'beveled edge of the catch bar 33 will be engaged by the forward end of the adjacent piston, thereby releasing the piston, which at the same time is propelled forwardly by the exploding lcharge behind it.. Thus, as shown in Fig.

i j 6,' when the' interlocking member Q is forced by the cam.U' into engagement with the latchbar 31, the latter forces outwardly the pin 37, which in turn forces outwardly 4the catch bar 33 adjacent thereto, so that the piston B will strike the beveled rear sideof the catch'bar, and the piston B -will be forced forwardly `bv, the exploding charge behind it. At this'time the tooth 32 of the latch bar which is engaged by.` the'interlocking bar Q will force the latter together. with the rotary member forwardly. U

To releasethe pistonsfrom the interlocking bars Q, R, S and T when they are' in the positions occupiedby the pistons Cy and G, in

Fig.v 1, in which positions the -said .pistons which are, at the time r engaged with thepishave passed partly over the exhaust ports 14 and 13, there-areprovidedon the inner sides 4 of the plates 1 and 2', two pairs of forwardly vand inwardly inclined curved cams V and X,

which have their inner sides4 engage therollers 29 of saidinterlocking bars Q to T, thereby drawing inwardly the interlocking .bars

tons occupying the positionsA of the pistons C and G in Fig.1.,

rFhe p-iston, as forv example, the piston B, which is engaged by the interlocking member Q, Fig. 3,v passes over the" exhaust ports v14,l the rollers 29 will engage the inner side of the cam V, upon which the`interlocking member Q will be withdrawn from engagement with `the latch bar 31 of the piston B,

.leavingthe piston in the position shown in y Fig. 1 as .being occupied by the piston C.

In like manner, the piston F willhave moved with the interlocking member S' to the 4position occupied by the piston G in Fig. l.

' C and G. At the same time,

" In the position shown in 1; the iston occupying the .position of the piston wlll The pistons, therefore, occupying the po- .lioatin r istons-ada ted for .travel in the e P P vpassage 10 independently of the rotary mem beror of the casing:

For stopping the pistons lat points inter mediate of the cxhaustports 14 and the intake port 12, and between the exhaust ports 13 and theintake port 11, in the positions occupied bythe pistons C and G in Fig. 3, and

D' and H in Fig. 1, there are providedI just --have been freed from the interlocking memher which it has been propelling by the cam `sitions of the pistons C and G, Fig. 1, will be at the rear of the intakeports `12 and 11,

vvtwo diametrically opposite catch bars 33, similar to the catch bars 33 already described and similarly located in recesses 34, having mounted in them, coil springs 35 which normally force the catch bars 33 inwardlyI into the path of the pistons.

The pistons occupying' the positions of the pistons C and G in Fig. 3, are held from forward movement by the catch bars 33 which are immediatelyin front Iof them,l and serve to separate the exhaust ports 14 and 13 from the intake ports 12 and 11 respectively. The pistons immediately forward of the pistons C and G can, in moving `forwardly from the positions occupied by the pistonsD and H to E, in Fig. 3, create partial vacuums behind them and forward of the pistons 4C and G, so

v as to suck in charges through the intake ports 12 and 11.

\ engaged thereby, and the pins 37 will-force outwardly the adjacent catch pins 33, thereby releasing` the pistons C and G from their 'holding catch bars 33, .upon which the interlocking members Iand K will en age the pistons C and G at the forward ends of the` lslots 30,` and will move said pistons forwardly across the intakes 12 and 11 and to the positions occupied by the pistons A and E in Figs. 1 and 3, at which time the cams M and O willf engage the rollers 29 of the interlocking members K and I, thereby releasing them from the pistons with which they are then engaged.

It will be noted that when two pistons are Voccupying the positions of thev pistons C and t Gr in Fig. 1, they will have covered the for-f .the positions occupied by the pistons A and I ward ends of the exhaust ports 14 and 13,

Y "and there will be small spaces between .them

and the temporarily stationary pistons D and H, Fig. l, which spaces will be occupiedby small portions of exhaust gas, which will serve as cushions, which will slow down the speed of the pistons C and G, so that they will not strike the pistons D and H, andwill preveiitthe Heating pistons C and G, which are propelled forwardly, by the exhaust gas pressure behind them, from striking the adjacent catch bars 33 hard, when the pistons D and H are released therefrom and are replaced by the pistons C and G, Fig. 1.

For preventing the interlocking members I, J, K and .L and Q, It, S and T from being -Fig. 6, when the rollers 29 are engaged by the cams M and Il.

I will now describe the operation of the engine, tracing the movement of one of the pistons duringI a' half revolution of said piston, in which time a charge admitted through the intake l1 will be compressed, exploded and exhausted, 'andthe piston H will have traveled from the position shown in Fig. 1 lto the position loccupied by the piston D in Fig. 1, or the piston C in Fig. 3.

Referring first to Fig. 1, and assuming that a charge has been sucked into the pas.

sage 10 through the intake 11 by the piston A, the rotary member in its forward movement in a clockwise direction will carry the interlocking member L so that its rollers 29 Will engage'tlie cani P,upoii which the member L will enter the slot 30 of the piston H and will force outwardly the latch bar 31 of said piston, thereby releasing the piston from the catch bar through the interniediacy of the pin 37 of the piston H.

The member L will then engage the piston H andv carry it forwardly to the positionI shown in Fig. 3, at which time the charge admitted through the intake I 11 is being compressed between tlie pistonsfH and A, the

latter piston bei-ng held against-the latch 17 by the pressure of the exploded' chargebearing against its Vforwardend;

The continued forwarl movement of the rotary member and the interlocking member L 'will carry the piston H past tlie latch 17 and to the position occupied bythe piston A in Figs. l and 3. At -this time, the cams M will have released 'the piston H from engageinent with the interlocking member L.

In the meantime, the'piston B' will have moved forwardly from the position 'shown in Fig; l to the position shown in Fig. 3, and the piston A will have moved to the position occupied by the piston B in Fig. l.

As the piston H moves to the position. of the piston A in Fig.` l, it will draw a charge behind it into the passage 10 through the iiitake 1'1, and the charge ahead of the piston H will be lexploded by the spark plug 15. The piston A at this time will be released be moved forwardly againstJ said catch bar Aby the pressure of the charge which is being compressed against its rear end by the from the catch bar 33, and the piston H will piston G. lWhen the latter piston has en gaged the latch 17, the rotary member which has been propelled by the piston Awill have turned to a position in which the interlocking member S w-ill have its rollers 29 engage latch bar 3l of the piston H, which at this time is occupying the position of the piston B in Fig. 1. At the same time, the charge which has been compressed at the rear of the piston H will be' exploded by the spark plug 15 and the piston H will be released from the catch bar 33, which at the time is holding it. The exploding charge will force forwardly the piston H, which being engaged .with the member S ,will carry the rotary member forwardly'until the member S engages the cams V, at which time the piston H will be in ,the position of the piston C in Fig. 1. In passing to this position, the piston H` will have forced the exhaust 'gas in front of it out of the ports 14.

The now free or floating piston H will,

Vupon the release of the following piston Gr4 from the catch 33, be forced forwardly by gas pressure at its rear end to the position occupied by the piston D in Fig. 1 and the piston C in Fig. 3, inw-hich position it will be held from forward movement -by the catch bar 33 adjacent to 'its forward end.V From this-last named position, the piston H will be carried forwardly by the interlocking member J which' Willybe forced by the cams N into engagement with the piston scribed willbe-f-repeated during the other. half of the revolution of the vpiston H.

It will be noted that the ends of each of the pistons A to Hare inclined" outwardly and forwardlywithre'lation to the radius of revolution. Preferably'this inclination is perpendicular to a tangentJ to the periphery of the rotary. member which intersects the end'of the' piston to which it is 'perpendicular at approximately the centerl of said end.

-the outer side of the cams U, thus forcing .the member S into engagement with the iio H, following which the operation justn de- Bymeansof this construction, the'pressure against the rear `end ofeach piston is in a direction such that the exploding charges at the rear ends ofthe pistons will force the By this arrangement, when the pistonis engaged with the rotary member, for propelling the same, the exploding charges' hold the piston against the rotary member, thus reducingiriction between the gisten and the casing, while the piston is h d by the ex-` ploding charges in front of it against the casing, when the piston is servingl as an 'abutment and is bearing' against the latches 17 or 21, thereby reduclng friction between the .piston and the rotary member when the piston is standing still.

It willjoe noted further that in the con-'1 struction shown, the piston travel in the' exploding of a charge is much longer than the piston travel on the intake and compression of a charge.v By means of this construction, the combustion is more perfect and the exhaustl is -at a lower pressure 'than would be the case if the piston travel during compression and exploding 0f the charge Was the same. This difference in the piston travel increases the efliciency and reduces the noise of the explosion. i

While I have described the driving shaft 6 as being disposed horizontally, the position of the engine maybe such that this shaft will be vertical.

I do not limit my' invention to the structure shown and described', as various modiications,'within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spiritof my invention.

l. In an explosiveengine, two members, one rotatable relatively to the other, having between them an annular passage, pistons adapted for travel in said passage independ-v` ently of said members, two holding Vmeans carried by one of saidnlembers for holding the pistons from forward movement at twopoints, means intermediate of'said holding means .for holding the pistons from rearward movement, interlocking means carried by the other member for operatively engaging the pistons with said other member, means actuated by the interlocking means for releasing the pistons' froml the first.

named holding means, means for moving the interlocking means into and out of engagement with saidpistons, the passage hav-y t ing a charge intake `between the first' named holding means and at one side of the intermediate holdin means and charge igniting means at the ot er side of'said intermediate holding means and between the two l'irst named holding means. f

2. In a rotary engine, two members, one

rotatable relatively to the other, havin an annular passage between them, a pistonA adapted for travel in said passage independently of said members', a'latch carried by said piston, an interlockingfmember carried by said rotary'member and adapted to operatively engage said latch sofas to be 'propelled thereby, and adapted to engage the piston forpropelling the latter, and means for moving the interlocking member into tndhout of engagement with said piston andatc ' `3..In a rotary engine, two members, one rotatable relatively to the other, having an annular passage 'between them, a piston adapted for travel iri said passage independently of said members, a catch `for holding the piston from forward movement, an interlocking member carried by the rotary member'and adapted to engage the piston for moving the latter forwardly, means carried ,by the `piston for engaging and propelling said interlocking member, and means actuated by said last named means for releasing the piston-from said catch.`

4.' In lan explosive engine, two members, one adapted for rotation relatively to the other, having an annular passage between and exhaust of charges, pistons adapted for travel in said passage independently of said members, and for compressing charges, means for exploding charges between the pistons, and means by' which each plston .alternately-operatively engages said members, the arrangement of the parts being: such that the travel of each piston during .the exploding of `a charge is longer than I them provided with means for the intake f 

